ITV rejigs daytime commissioners

UK commercial network ITV has promoted two of its existing executives to oversee daytime commissioning.

Clare Ely (left) and Jane Beacon

Jane Beacon and Clare Ely, who were previously daytime commissioning editors, have been appointed to job-share the head of daytime role on ITV’s commissioning team.

Beacon and Ely have covered the role since Helen Warner’s departure late last year, after she left the broadcaster to focus on a writing career. A new daytime commissioning editor will be recruited in due course.

The duo joined ITV to job share the role of daytime commissioning editor in 2014 and have worked on shows including Good Morning Britain, Judge Rinder, James Martin’s Adventure and Tenable.

Beacon, who previously worked on ITV show Dancing on Ice, and Ely, who was head of development for UK prodco Shiver, also oversee the peaktime versions of daytime shows including Celebrity Chase, Family Chase and Tipping Point Lucky Stars.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s director of TV, described Beacon and Ely as “extremely experienced, capable and creative commissioners.”

In related news, ITV has appointed Julian Ashworth, global director of policy strategy at telco BT, as its director of group strategy and direct to consumer.

Ashworth will take up the role, which encompasses ITV’s online and interactive businesses including on-demand service ITV Hub, next month.